BEAUFORT, S.C. (WJCL) - Lowcountry residents have the chance to share their opinions on the Boundary Street Construction Project in Beaufort at an open meeting on Thursday night.

The Boundary Street Construction Project Question and Answer session is on Thursday night at 4 p.m. at City Hall. Beaufort City Hall is located at 1911 Boundary Street. The meeting is expected to last until 6 p.m. and Q & A sessions will be held the last Thursday of every month throughout the duration of the project.

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The Boundary Street construction project has been in planning stages for about nine years but construction began in the beginning of 2016. The ultimate goal of the project is to add another $150 million in property values in Beaufort by improving the safety, surrounding environment and the look of the Boundary Street area. The project is 1.2 miles long and spans from Greenlawn Drive to Neil Road.

City leaders say there is currently a "disproportionate" number of fender benders on Boundary Street. They say that's why the project is removing the center turning lane from the road and replacing it with medians. Also, crews are installing more traffic lights and turn signals to cut down on confusion.

Officials also say since part of the plans are to add a buffer of grass between the street and sidewalk, this will help cut down on pollution flowing into Battery Creek.

The third goal is to make this area more beautiful for the public. One way the project is designed to do this is by putting utility cables underground. Officials say this is the most expensive part of this $30 million project. The project is state and federally funded.

Another goal of this project is growing the local economy. City leaders want the Boundary Street area to grow into a bigger economic district in the future. Officials say while the construction project continues, they are securing more and more businesses to come to this area, including a new hotel. As for Thursday night's meeting, engineers are ready to work with any current business owners to make sure access to their business is not restricted from this project.